Adjusting device for musical instruments.



R. G. BENSON.

- ADJUSTING DEVICE FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLmATIbN FILED NOV.17, 1910.

llldliT li RALPH G. BENSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, JQSSIGNOE T0 THE GABLECOMPANY, OF

GEATION OE ILLINOIS.

icense.

Eipecification of Letters Eatent.

Patented J an. 19, 1915.

Application filed November 1?, 1910. Serial KO. 5921,8 25.

T0 ail whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RALPK-I G. Bunsen, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of lllinois,have invented a new and useful lmproi ement in Adjusting Devices forlilusical instruments, of which the fol lowing is a specification.

This invention relates to musical instru ments which may be mechanicallyactuated and automatically or otherwise controlled in actuation and itespecially concerns the provision of simple adjusting devices for use inconnection with movable members of the musical instrument mechanism andthe means for their actuation.

l have shown and will describe the invention as embodied in a preferredconruction and in connection with the noteunding action of a piano whichis prorioed with a pneumatic player-action and arranged for automaticcontrol by the wellknown traveling pe'foi'ated music-sheet, although, aswill be indicated in the accompanying claims, I am well aware that itmay be used for similar purposes in connection *ith other actions andinstruments, and 1 do not wish to be limited to the particularconstruction or single combination which I have shown.

Figure l is a vertical sectional view of the upper portion of a piano,showing the note-sounding piano action, my improved adjusting devicesand a pneumatic playeraction in connection therewith. 2 is an enlargedperspective view of one of the piano-action-stickers, Sl10\ *ing anadjusting device in position thereupon.

A, B and C indicate removable parts of the piano case. D indicates thekey-bed, E, the keys, F, the strings, G, the hammers, and l, the pianoaction-supporting frame. All of these parts are well-known and are notincluded in my invention.

Stickers 1 may be vertically arranged in the usual or any desired mannerfor reciprocal movement through manipulation. of keys E to causeoperation of hammers G.

The pneumatic player-action is placed above keys E and immediately infront of the piano-action-stickers 1 and is supported and secured in amanner that will not interfere with manual playing of the instrument.

The action herein shown possesses certain common features, such as thehorizontal arrangement of its principal divisions 5 in a stack or tierand the positioning of the power-pneumatics (3 for direct actuation ofthe piano-action. Power-pneumatics of the type illustrated in Fig. 1 aretoo well-known to need description. I have shown them l'iorizoutally si)orted with their hinged ends forwardly presented and the usual lugs 7'7 arranged in horizontal rows immediately in front of stickers 1.

Each adjusting device is designed to be secured to an individual sticker1 to provide a forwardly projecting foot or abutment thereupon, againstwhich oneof the lugs 7 7 a during mechanical actuation of the "*umentandthe adjustment of each device consists in a vertical movement of theirojecting abutment upon the sticker to pernit a reduction of the lostmotion often eX- sting between the co-acting members of the c-iano andpneumatic actions.

Each abutment-member 8 presents three useful surfaces. The first surface9 is held in sliding contact with the front of the sticker by a screw 10which is passed through a vertical slot 11 in member 8. The secondsurface 12 is arranged at an approximate right-angle to the firstsurface and provides the hereinbefore-described foot or abutment againstwhich a lug 7 may contact. The third surface 13 is obliquely arranged,slanting downwardly and forwardly from the face of the sticker, andmember 8 is slotted at 1 1- to accommodate an adjusting screw 15 whichis passed downwardly and rearwardly through the member at aboutright-angles to surface 13 into threaded connection with the sticker,the head or shoulder of the screw bearing upon surface 13. Since screw15 enters the sticker obliquely and member 8 is movable upon the frontof the sticker, the movements of the screw and member are divergent andthe divergent movement of the member with relation to the screw isaccommodated by slot 1a. Turn ing of screw 15 in one direction causesthe head or shoulder of the screw to bear upon surface 13 and effectmovement of member 8 in one direction along the front of the sticker,while turning of the screw in the other direction permits movement ofmember 8 along the front of the sticker in the other direction. vVashersmay be arranged beneath the heads of screws 10 and 15.

I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. The combination, with a movable member of a musical instrument actionand a second movable member, of an adjusting device comprising anabutment slidably secured to one of said members for adjustableengagement with the other of said members and adjustable means alsosecured to the abutment-carrying member to act upon and adjustably slidethe abutment upon that member.

2. The combination, with a movable member of a musical instrument actionand a second movable member, of an adjusting clevice comprising anabutment slidably secured to one of said members for adjustableengagement with the other of said members and adjustable means inthreaded engagement with the abutment-carrying member to act upon andadjustably slide the abutment upon that member.

3. The combination, with a movable member of a musical instrumentaction, of an adjusting device comprising an abutment slidably securedto said member to present a slanting surface and adjustable means alsosecured to said member to act upon the slanting surface of the abutmentand adjustably slide the abutment upon said member.

4. The combination, with a movable mem-' ber of a musical instrumentaction, of an adjusting device comprising an abutment slidably securedto said member to present a slanting surface and adjustable means inthreaded engagement with said member to act upon the slanting surface ofthe abutment to ad ustably slide the abutment upon said member.

5. The combination, with a movable mem ber of a musical instrumentaction, of an adjusting device comprising an abutment slidably securedto said member to present a slanting surface and provided with a slotand adjustable means extending through the slot and secured to saidmember to act upon the slanting surface of the abutment and ad-Ijoustably slide the abutment upon said mem- 6. The combination, with amovable member of a musical instrument action, of an adjusting devicecomprising an abutment slidably secured to said member to present aslanting surface and provided with a slot and adjustable means extendingthrough the slot into. threaded engagement with said member to act uponthe slanting surface of the abutment and adjustably slide theabutmentupon said member.

7. The combination, with a movable member of a musical instrumentaction, of an adjusting device comprising an abutment slidably securedto said member for movement thereupon in a given direction andadjustable means for adjusting said abutment upon'said member, theadjusting movement of said means being in a direction oblique to thedirection of movement of said abutment.

8. The combination, with a movable member of a musical instrumentaction, of an adj usting device comprising an abutment slidably securedto said member for movement thereupon in a given direction andadjustable means also secured to said member and adjustable withrelation thereto in a direction oblique to the direction of movement ofthe abutment to act upon and adjustably slide the abutment upon saidmember.

9. The combination, with a movable member of a musical instrumentaction, of an adjusting device comprising an abutment slidably securedto said member for move ment thereupon in a given direction andadjustable means in threaded engagement with said member and adjustablewith relation thereto in a direction oblique to the direction ofmovement of the abutment to act upon and adjustably slide the abutmentupon said member.

10. The combination, with a musical instrument action sticker, ofan'adjusting device comprising an abutment slidably secured to saidsticker and adjustable means also secured to said sticker to act uponand adjustably slide the abutment upon said sticker.

11 The combination, with a musical instrument action sticker, of an adjusting device comprising an abutment slidably secured to said stickerand adjustable means in threaded engagement with said sticker to actupon and adjustably slide the abutment upon said sticker.

RALPH G. BENSON.

Witnesses:

C. N. CLnMnTsnN, PAUL B. KLUGH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I G.

